| Allan Wilson:
In all seriousness,
I do not think that I could follow Cathy Peattie. I have no cake, either.
The Deputy Presiding
Officer: Next time.
Allan Wilson:
It might have been misinterpreted as an attempt to curry favour with members.
[Laughter.] Members will get there eventually.
I congratulate
David Mundell and the other members who have spoken in what must have been
the best debate in the Parliament to date. I also welcome Shirley Bell
back to the Parliament.
It is apt that
we discuss Burns on this particular night, when many thousands of his admirers
throughout the world sit down to pay tribute to his memory. His works,
which have been so extensively and so eloquently quoted by members during
the debate, have been enormously influential in the development of Scotland's
cultural heritage. A number of members made the point that his works have
been central to the formation of our identity and of Scotland's image throughout
the world. Dorothy-Grace Elder remarked that they have been translated
into 90 languages; they were also translated into Gaelic by the late, great
Rev Roderick Macdonald.
The mark of
a great poet is that he is not just of his own time and place but captures
the imagination of people in many times and in many places. No other poet
has captured the hearts and minds of people from all walks of life, across
all classes of society and in all parts of the globe, as Robert Burns has
done. Tonight, thousands of people—not just expatriate Scots but myriad
nationalities such as Russian and Japanese—will toast his immortal memory.
Many of those
people will be members of the Robert Burns World Federation, which, as
members have heard, has more than 80,000 members throughout the world in
more than 300 affiliated clubs. I congratulate the federation on the admirable
work it carries out, in the celebration of Burns's memory and achievements
and in the study of Scotland's literature and language. I certainly recognise
the need to help the federation.
Much, of course,
has already been done to support Burns's legacy. The Association for Scottish
Literary Studies, funded by the Scottish Arts Council, has recently announced
a new children's creative writing competition, which will be run jointly
with the Burns federation. The competition is open to pupils in S1 and
S2 and the first awards are to be made this spring.
Many members
will have read The Herald magazine article about James Cosmo's plans to
make a film about Burns's life. It was Fergus Ewing, I think, who made
a reference to the film, which is one of a number of film projects being
monitored by Scottish Screen. I understand that Scottish Screen has already
had informal discussion to see how it might best be able to assist. I am
scheduled to meet James Cosmo after the initial discussion that we had
at the Scottish BAFTA—British Academy of Film and Television Arts—awards
last month, to try to make progress with the project.
David Mundell:
Name-dropper!
Allan Wilson:
There is a vacancy for the lead part. David
Mundell will be welcome to audition.
We have also
recognised Burns's undoubted appeal to Scotland—
Ian Jenkins:
Sorry, minister, but when you meet James Cosmo, could you tell him that
his old English teacher was asking for him.
Allan Wilson:
Not that Ian Jenkins is name-dropping or anything.
Dorothy-Grace
Elder: I am appreciating the minister's speech.
I hope, as he moves in such starry circles, that he is not going to cast
Madonna as Jean Armour.
Allan Wilson:
I think that we will leave the casting to
the professionals.
Last year, the
new tourism action plan for Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire identified Burns
as a brand icon that should be developed. That will be integrated into
the board's business plan, the new Ayrshire and Arran tourism strategy
and the service level agreement. I think that that was a reference to the
double act of the Jamiesons—Cathy and Margaret—behind me.
Those are important
initiatives and opportunities on which we must build. Alasdair Morrison
and I realise that we cannot rest on our laurels. We have already met David
Mundell and Shirley Bell. Only this week, we have discussed how we might
work together to help the federation to continue its excellent work and
to make the most of the opportunities that the its worldwide membership
affords. As a result of that meeting, Alasdair and I are looking at ways
in which we can help the federation to access business advice and support
from the enterprise networks.
I have said
that I recognise the case for supporting the international Burns federation.
I am determined that the few individuals who have, for many years, carried
that federation are assisted. It makes eminent sense that the Executive
assists in a way that benefits Scotland as well as the federation.
I have to correct
David Mundell on the visitscotland.com
website, which I printed off before this debate. It has links to more than
16,000 ideas for holidays in Scotland, 8,500 places to stay and 2,500 events
to choose from.
I make this
pledge to David Mundell and all the members who have stayed on tonight:
Alasdair Morrison and I are determined that this debate will not be like
the snowflake in the verse that David quoted from "Tam o' Shanter". Our
commitment will not be ephemeral. It will not be here today and gone tomorrow,
but will be part of a determined process to recognise the bard's unique
contribution not only to our cultural heritage but to our contemporary
economy. So watch this space for future announcements.
To
read this debate in full, click here
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